Thank you all SO much for great feedback and input and education for this beginner tourer. I ended up purchasing the Novara Randonee, especially since the price was great and the guy had barely used it. He had also upgraded the saddle to a Selle Royal, the tires to Schwalbe Marathons, and included the fenders and rear rack! A big deciding factor too was that my Trek is just so light I already wobble/swerve on it if I shift my own weight unexpectedly, so I feared it wouldn't handle rear baggage well, and could only handle frame/handlebar bags.
I'm excited to start my touring journey with this Novara.